forrest



2 sheets sheet 1.

(No Model.)

L. FORREST.'

PORTABLE HOUSE.

No. 305,584. PaLenLGd'Sept. 23, 1884.

P/-J JM INVENTOR A TTORNEY 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

L. PORRlEST,v

PORTABLE HOUSE.

Patented Sept. 23, 18,84.

iff,

WJTNESSES:

rv f M JNVENTUR NITED STATES PATENT Tries- LORENZO FORREST, OF MINNEAPOLIS, MINNESOTA.

PORTABLE Heuss-z.A

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N. 305,584, dated September 23, 1884.

Application led March 26, 1883.

fo all whom it may concern..-

Be it known that I, LORENZO Fonnns'r, a citizen of the Dominion of Canada, and residing in the city of Minneapolis, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Portable Houses and I do hereby declare that 'the following is a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, which will enable others skilled in the art vto which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

In the drawings, Figure 1 represents a sectional view in plan.; Figs. 2, 3, and 4, a sectional view in plan of two adjacentcorner-sections and a side section adjacent thereto detached Fig. 5, the construction of a side or wall section 5 Figs. 6, '7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12, details of the roof and rafters; Fig. 13, an end sectional view of the ridge-purliu; Fig. 1I, a View of the top wall-plate; Figs. 15 and 1G, a horizontal sectional View of two adjacent sections to form a partition; Fig. 17, a sectional view vertically edgewise of the top-end of a wall-section Fig. 18, a vertical section cdgcwise through a window opening and sash; Fig. 19, a similar view of a partition; Fig. 20, a View of two adjacent side sections where a. iioor-joist is sustained elsewhere than on the ground-door; Fig. 2l,` a view of the sills at the corner of the house, and of the end of a ground-floor j'oist; Fig. 22, a vertical edge wise sectional View showing the lower end of a wall-section. the sill, and the base-board detached; and Fig. 23, a vertical sectional View ofthe entire house looking toward one of the gables.

To describe the invention more at length, we will begin at the bottoni, and proceed as if actually building the house.

A A, Figs.,21, 22, and 23, show the sills, which lie upon theunderpinning, as is usual in all houses. These sills A A are halved together at the four corners of the house, as shown in Fig. 21. This halving joint is out on a bevel similar to a dovetail both ways, so that the weight of the house thereoninakes it impossible for the four sills A A A A to come apart. In all these sills A, and ontop of the same,there are grooves (rectangular) (No model.)

c e,Figs.21,22,and 23, and these grooves e e extend all around on top of the sills .A A. The object of these'grooves c e is to receive the lower end of the part F, Figs. 22 and 23, of the wall-sections. The construction of one of these wall-sections is shown in Fig. 5. They consist of three layers of planksay one inch thick cach-arranged thus: E, Fig. 5, represents plank laid closely together, or tongued and grooved,and intended to be on the outside ofthe section. Inside of these plank E E comes a layer of building or tarred paper, I?. Then comes plank laid some such way as .J JJ, Fig; lastly,on the inside of the section comes plank F F, Fig. 5, laid closely together, or tongued and groovedl The material contained iu Fig. 5 is put into forms over iron plates and clamped. The entire system is then nailed together with wrought-iron clinch-nails,ithe said iron plates serving to turn the nails on under side. The sections are then withdrawn from the forms and are ready for erection. The bottom edge of a section is shown in Figs. 22 and 23. The side'edges of two contiguous or adjacent sides and also two adjacent corner-sections are shown in Figs. 1, 2, 3, and 4. The top edge similar to the bottom is shown in Figs. 17 and 23. From the preceding it will be seen that an air-space is left in the interior of these wallsections between the outer and inner plank, E and F. The said air-spaces are for the purpose of excluding heat or cold.

The sections as aboveV constructed are placed in position all around the buildin g,and constitute the walls thereof.

Fig. 22 shows the position of a section just ready to be placed on the sill A. The inner sheathing, F, enters into the groove e on the sill A,a1'1d the outer sheathing,E, extends down outside said sill A, and is secured to said sills by bolts through said sheathing E and sill A.

Fig. 1 shows the several side and cornerseetions in juxtaposition, and Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show the same just before going together.

In the corner wall-sections, Figs. 1 2, and 3, the outer sheathing, E, is of the required width oi a section. The plank J is located at a distance from the corner edge equal to the thickness of the outside sheathing, and the inner sheathing, F, is locatedstill farther, equal IOO to the thickness of said plank J, thus giving breakjoint at each and every corner.

to the corner sections the shape as shown in Figs. 2 and Consequently the projecting edge of the outer sheathing on one corner section laps overV the edge of the outer sheathing on the other corner section, and J in one section laps over the edge of plank J in the adjacent section, and so on, thus forming a They are then fastened together by screws from the outside passing through the outer sheathing, -the whole construction effectually excluding wind.`

The joists H, Figs. 1, 20, and 23, rest on the bottom of a niortisc cut two-thirds throughv two contiguous sections, and equally deep in each section, the ends of the joists H VH being dovetailed, and the inortise also, thus serving also as a tie-beam across the building. This is fully shown in Figs. 20 and 23.

The window-frames are built into any wallsection'. In Such casca vertical section through the window is shown in Fig. 1S. These win,- doW-frames have the special feature of a groove, d d, Fig. 18, running along the top, bottom, and sides of said frame, inwhich groove d d the plank J of one or more wallsections is inserted. Thus the window-frame may be placed in any desired part of one or more wall-sections. Outside of said windowfraines is placed the ordinary window-casing. The grooves d d, Fig. 18, and this easing together give a double assurance of being windproof, the casing serving as stops to keep the sash in place. The door-frames are inserted similarly to ihe window-frames. The lower 'floor-joists, B, are dovetailed at the ends of said joists B, and let into correspondinglyshaped gains in the sills A, as shown in Figs. 21 and 23. These also serve as tie-beams. A base-board, G, runs around the outside of the bottom of the walls after the erection of said walls, as shown in Figs. 22 and 23, and corner boards, M M, are placed as in Fig. 1.

The walls and everything below now being ingposition, the wall or top plates, KKK, are placed thereon, as shown in Fig. 23. The groove k under said wall-plates K K, Figs. 14c

. and 23, engages over the top of the part EF of a wall-section, Figsl? and A23, said wall-section being secured to wall-plate K by screws through the outside plank, E. The rafters L, Figs. 23 and 10, are notched, as at N, Fig. 10, to fit into the notches C in the wall-plate K, Fig.

14. It will be seen that the verticaledge of the notch N in the rafter L extends down over' the outside of the wall-section, thus serving to tie the walls together. In this the rafters L are assisted by a tie-beam, T, bolted so as toveonnect a pair of rafters', as shown in Fig. 23. .The top ends of the rafters L are shown Qin Figs. 11 and 12. The two abutting rafters are halved together, as shown in sai and 12. In the top of each rafter, as at m, Figs. 1l and 12, are notches, and also in the bottoni of the ridge-purlin 1, as at a, Fig. 13,- are similar notches, so that the ridge-purlin y can engage over every pair of rafters in the d Figs. 11

building, and thus securely bind all together. This ridge-purlin y, extending lfrom one end of the building tothe other, serves as a tiebeam for the top ends of all the rafters.

together with clamps and nails, in the same manner as in the wallsections before described, but without airspace. They` are formed of two layers of plank with tarred paper between, and the plank are tongued and grooved and laid to break -joints. These plank and the paper are united with two or more cross-battens nailed and clinched to the same in a similar manner to the side sections. This is shown in Figs. 6 and 7, where we see three of these contiguous sections, in which R shows the plank, I the paper, and s t-he crossbatten. Y

The cross-hatten vO, Figs. 8 and 23, nearest to the wall-plate K is provided with a tongue, as o, Fig. 8, said tongue o being designed to -enter a corresponding groove, o', extending along the wall-plate K, Fig. 14. This cross batten O, engaging as' it does into the groove o in the wall-plate K, secures the roof R from lifting, prevents wind from blowing in, and also binds the rafter L firmly in its notch C in the wallplate K-in short, effectnally binding together wall-plate K, rafters L, and roof R. The top cross-batten, s, bears against and hooks under a cleat, Z, attached on both sides of the rafters L, and serves to take the weight of roof R from off the side walls, and also lifted by the wind. This last construction is assisted by the haiving together ofthe rafters L at their top ends, as liereinbefore n1entioned.

Small grooves f f f, Figs. 6 and 7, serve to conduct water away before having a chance to penetrate to the interior of the roof l. The adjacent sections of the roof are lapped over above a rafter, L, so as to break joints, and vare secured by screws to said rafters L. This is shown in Figs. 6 and 7. The roof at top is bound by a ridge-board secured by serews,said ridge-board being shown in Fig. 23. A cornice, X, Fig. 23, of any desired ornamentation, is secured to side walls and ends of rafters by screws.

Figs. land 16 show a horizontal sectional view, and Fig. 19 a vertical edgewise sectional view, of a partition for the interior. Th-ese partitions are formed by sections made of one l thickness of plank Q, tongued and gro'oved together, and connected by'two or more cross- Il battens, X, of some ornamental design, clinch- 'l nailed to the said plank Q. The different sections are ship-lapped together, as at U, Figs. l 15 31nd 16. l At the ceiling the partitions are held in place by a molding, Y, Fig. 19, screwed to the ceiling, and on the floor lthe partitions are held in place by a quarter-round molding', Z, f Fig. 19, placed on each side of said partition and screwed to theiloor Ceiling-sections are `joined in the same manner and held together The roof proper is formed in sections put l IOO holds down the top part of roof from being n IIO by crossbattens nailed and clinched to said ceiling on the unplaned or upper side thereof. The floors W, Fig. 23,are in sections, and formed of two layers of plank placed together by tongue and groove, and breaking joint and joining section to section in the same manner as the rooi1 R in Figs. 6 and 7.

Tarred paper is placed between the two p layers of plank that constitute the i'ioor.

Two or more cross-batters similar to those at S, Figs. 6, 7, 9, and 23, but ofa simple rectangular shape, are nailed with clinch-nails to the under side of the door-sections.

Having thus described my invention, I desire to claim and secure by Letters Patentof 'the United States as follows:`

l. In a portable house, the combination of the wallsections thereof with the wall-plates, and also with the sills, by means of the inner sheathing of said wall-sections engaging into grooves e and 7c in said Wallplates and sills, and also by means of the outer sheathing of said wall-sections extending over the outside o't' said wall-plates and sills, enabling said wall-sections to be readily' secured to said wall-plates and sills by screws passing thron'gh said outer sheathing into said wall-plates or sills, all arranged substantially as described.

2. In a portable house, the wall-sections composed of an outer layer of plank, an inner layer of plank, and a middle set or layer of plank along `the edges ot' said wall-section and occasionally crossing the same, said intermediate layers projecting and receding on alternate edges of said wall-sections, thus permitting the joining of said wall-secti0ns on the principle of tongue and groove, and composed, lastly, of building-paper Vbetween the outer layer and the middle layer of plank, and all arranged, nailed, and clinched together substantially as described.

3. In a portable house, the combination of the joists H, having dovetailed ends, with the two adj acent wall-sections by means of adovetailed gain, half in each section, substantially' as and for the purposesdescribed.

4. In a portable house, the wall-plate K, with its groove k, to receive the upper end of a wal1-seetion, also with its notches C C, to receive the rafters L L, also with its groove 0,to receive the tongue o on thelowercross-hatten, O, of roof -seetions, all. substantially as described.

5. In a portable house, the roof-sections composed ot' two layers Vol" plank breaking joint with one another, and tarred or building paper between said plank, said plank being secured together by cross-battens s and O, and said sections being detachabl y joined together, all substantially as and for the purposes described. Y Y

G. In a portable house, the combination of the rafter L, having its notch N, the wall-plate Ii, with its notch G and grooves o and k, the roof-sections having the lower cross-hatten, O, and the wall-sections, all arranged substantially as described. j

7. In a portable house, the combination of a root-section having cross-battens s and the cross-battens O with tongue o, to engage in groove o of wall-plate K, with the rafters L, furnished with cleats l, and thewall-plate K, all substantially as and for the purposes described.

S. In a portable house, the. construction and arrangement ot the corner wall-sections at the corners of said house, the outside sheathing of one section lapping over the edge of outside sheathing of the other section, and planks J J, and inner sheathing receding alternately on each section, soas to break joints with one another, for the thorough exclusion of air from said corners of the house, all substantially as described.

9. Ali improved portable house having its wall-sections engaging with and projecting over the outside of its sills and wall-plates, its rafters notching over wall-plates and wallsections, its ridge-purlin binding rafters and end walls together, its roof-sections detachablyjoined, and formed of twolayers of plank breaking joint, and secured together by crossbattens that engage rafters and wall-plates, its joist-s dovetaling with the wall-sections, its sills receiving the side wall-sections and loor-joists,.and its wall-plates receiving the upper end of the wall-sections and supporting rafters and roof lower cross-battens, all arranged substantially as andfor the purposes described. n

In 'testimony that I claim the ii'oregoing as IOO my ownl do affix hereto my signature in presence ot two witnesses.

LORENZO F'ORREST.

NTitxiesses:

WILQIAM W. REDFIELD, JAMEs A. Fonnnsr. 

